1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a system for monitoring objects contained inside a living body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various grave problems occur in various areas of medicine when objects foreign to the body, such as implants or transplants or the like, are introduced into the body. Rejection phenomena against a transplanted organ may, for instance, occur after a transplantation, or an artificial implant such as a prosthesis may shift its position or come loose in the course of time, and infections may occur in either one of these cases.
The like problems hitherto needed to be recognized at an early point of time with the aid of various examinations such as, e.g., ultrasound examinations, X-ray examinations, etc., or else they are prevented by administering medicaments as is, for instance, the case with organ transplantations.
Although such measures frequently do constitute a strong physical and/or psychological stress to the patients in question, the measures as such nevertheless are indispensable.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to create an apparatus and a system for monitoring objects contained inside a living body, whereby physical and/or mental stress to these patients is reduced.
According to an aspect of the present invention an apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body includes a transmitter/receiver device which is introduceable into the living body and in which data relating to the object may be stored, wherein the data relating to the object may be written into the transmitter/receiver device and read from it contactless with the aid of an external write-read device located externally of the living body; and at least one sensor device for monitoring at least one temporally variable state parameter of the object and for transmitting data corresponding to a currently prevailing state to the transmitter/receiver device in accordance with a detected value of the temporally variable state parameter. The data corresponding to the currently prevailing state are written into the transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from the sensor device.
In accordance with the invention it was recognized that for monitoring an object contained inside a living body it is advantageous to detect a temporally variable state parameter of the object and to write data corresponding to a currently prevailing state into the transmitter/receiver device.
Just the same, the data relating to the object may be primary characteristic data of the object which are available for use by various authorized persons in different locations, such as physicians, as a result of their being stored in the transmitter/receiver device.
Thanks to the above mentioned measures it is possible to also process, besides the data relating to the object, data corresponding to the currently prevailing state, whereby a simple examination possibility from outside of the living body is provided through the external write-read device, without a patient being subjected to high stress. Due to the possibility of continuously verifying the temporally variable state parameter, a verifying possibility is moreover improved considerably.
Moreover it is possible to recognize negative developments concerning the object from early on, so that it is furthermore possible to create a quality management of implants and transplants, whereby follow-up costs such as through additional surgery may be avoided.
In accordance with one development of the present invention, the outside of the apparatus is surrounded by a physiologically compatible material or comprised thereof.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the object is a transplant or an implant or some other natural or artificial part or replacement part.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state, which is stored in the transmitter/receiver device, is readable with the aid of the external write-read device.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the transmitter/receiver device is a transponder or a bluetooth chip.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the sensor device detects a value of a physical function, a value of a physiological function, or a combination of these as the temporally variable state parameter.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the apparatus moreover includes a fixing means whereby it may be fixed inside the living body.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is directly written into the transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from the sensor device.
In accordance with another development of the present invention, the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written into the transmitter/receiver device by means of the external device in response to transmission from the sensor device.
Moreover by means of the apparatus according to the invention and an external write-read device it is possible to create a system for monitoring objects contained inside a living body, with this system having features that are equivalent to those in relation with the above described apparatus.